Result: Very anticlimactic finish with Cote blowing out his knee in the 3rd round. Patrick may be able to claim he lasted 3 rounds with Silva, but he didn’t do anything to him for those 3 rounds. Silva was extremely patient and only landed maybe 2 to 4 significant shots the whole fight. But he was still dominatnt and I don’t see anyone in the division who can hang with him right now. He’s like Michael Jordan playing basketball against grade schoolers. I’m almost beginning to feel sorry for his opponents. They have no chance. Anderson stays at 1. Cote drops to 17.

170 lbs. – Thiago Alves [2] vs. Josh Koscheck [3]

MMA Record: Thiago Alves (15-3); Josh Koscheck (11-2)

Result: Props to Koscheck for taking this fight on short notice, but he ran into a buzzsaw. Thiago Alves rocked him several times en route to a unanimous decision win. He now stands on the precipace of greatness. The winner of BJ/GSP will have to deal with an animal with elite striking and takedown defense. Thiago’s leg kicks are unbelievable and his strength is formidable. Koscheck’s standup is becoming very sharp. He remains in the top 5. Thiago stays at 2. Koscheck drops to 4.

155 lbs. – Gray Maynard [14] vs. Rich Clementi [31]

MMA Record: Gray Maynard: (5-0); Rich Clementi (32-12-1)

Result: Maynard did his best Matt Hughes impression and dominated his opponent with wrestling from start to finish. “The Bully” grinded Clementi down and took the unanimous decision. He’s going to have to improve his standup, however, because he’s not always going to be able to keep his opponent on the mat for 3 rounds. Clementi was game and will be back. Maynard rises to 11. Clementi stays at 31.

HVY – Fabricio Werdum [6] vs. Junior dos Santos

MMA Record: Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1); Junior dos Santos (6-1)

Result: Let’s be frank. This was not a case of Santo being the better fighter. It was Werdum completely underestimating him and coming in waaay out of shape. At 255 lbs., he weighed 20 lbs. more than his usual fighting weight. He looked sluggish and got caught by a wicked uppercut in round 1. Santos obviously has power but that’s all we know at this point. We’ll need to see him in a couple more fights to accurately gauge his skills. Werdum drops to 16. dos Santos debuts at 24.

155 lbs. – Sean Sherk [7] vs. Tyson Griffin [11]

MMA Record: Sean Sherk (32-3-1); Tyson Griffin (12-1)

Result: This was a truly great fight. They slugged it out for three rounds at a very high pace. It’s true that they are mirror images of eachother. They are both great wrestlers with granite chins and incredible cardio. Their wrestling cancled out and they stood and traded for most of the fight. Sherk was a bit more aggresive and did get Tyson’s back a couple of times in the 1st round. I wish this fight was 10 rounds. It still would have gone to a decision. Sherk rises to 5. Tyson drops to 20.

185 lbs. – Thales Leites [6] vs. Drew McFedries [44]

MMA Record: Thales Leites (13-1); Drew McFedries (7-4)

Result: Thales Leites schooled Drew McFedries in blackbelt level jiu-jitsu. He was masterful once he got the takedown and methodically sunk in an inescapable rear-naked choke. Drew had no chance. His ground game is nowhere near UFC-caliber. He has to hit the gym hard if he wants any chance of succeeding at this level. Thales is a very complete fighter who is entering his prime. Watch out. Thales stays at 6. Drew drops to 57.

155 lbs. – Spencer Fisher [23] vs. Shannon Gugerty

MMA Record: Spencer Fisher (21-4); Shannon Gugerty (11-2)

Result:Fisher picked up his second win in a row with a third round triangle choke submission. He also used some nice clinch-elbows to cut Gugerty. Shannon was tough but overmatched in the striking department. He did get Fisher down a couple of times but didn’t do anything with it. He will be back and get another chance to crack the rankings. Fisher stays at 23.

185 lbs. – Dan Miller [57] vs. Matt Horwich [73]

MMA Record: Dan Miller (9-1); Matt Horwich (23-10-1)

Result:There was some truly amazing jiu-jitsu in this fight. When people compare MMA to chess, they are referring to the 2nd round of this fight. Awesome stuff. Horwich is as tough as they come but Miller’s takedowns are what gave him the slight edge in the unanimous decision. These two guys have some really exciting jiu-jitsu and I can’t wait for their next fights. Miller rises to 50.Horwich rises to 67.

155 lbs. – Hermes Franca [22] vs. Marcus Aurelio [30]

MMA Record: Hermes Franca (18-7); Marcus Aurelio (16-6)

Result:Hermes landed leg-kick after leg-kick after leg-kick after leg-kick in taking the unanimous decision. Aurelio had absolutely nothing to offer in return. A dominant victory for Hermes. Hermes rises to 19. Aurelio drops to 33.

170 lbs. – Josh Burkman [18] vs. Pete Sell [NR]

MMA Record: Josh Burkman (9-6); Pete Sell (7-4)

Result:Pete Sell gets the unanimous decision in his debut at 170 lbs. Burkman loses his third straight. Sell debuts at 23. Burkman drops to 26.

Preview:This should be a great fight. Both guys are looking to get a title shot in the near future and their styles match up well. They are both well rounded fighters with tons of stamina and heart who love to trade strikes. Leben has a granite chin and Bisping has never been stopped. The fight could go either way but I think Bisping will find a way to grind out a decision victory.

Result: Bisping kept Leben at the end of his punches and used footwork to stick and move for the unanimous decision victory. Leben kept coming forward but to no avail. “The Count” is ready for a top 10 opponent. Leben must find a plan B because slugging it out doesn’t work against taller opponents with disciplined striking. Bisping rises to 15. Leben drops to 37.

205 lbs. – Keith Jardine [9] vs. Brandon Vera [26]

MMA Record: Keith Jardine (13-4-1); Brandon Vera (9-2)

Preview:This will be a litmus test for Brandon Vera at the Light-Heavyweight division. Keith Jardine likes a slow pace to his fights. Vera would be wise to be aggressive and put Keith on his heels fast. If Vera is methodical, then Keith’s chances are high. If Vera turns it up, he will win. Im going with the latter. Vera will end the fight with his fists in the 3rd round.

Result: Jardine edged out Vera for the split decision by landing the harder strikes in what turned into a bonafide kickboxing match. Vera was not aggressive enough and looked as if he was in a sparring session. He must show more desire if he wants to maximize his world-class skills. Jardine rises to 8. Vera rises to 24.

205 lbs. – Sokoudjou [10] vs. Luis Cane [19]

MMA Record: Sokoudjou (5-2); Luis Cane (8-1)

Preview: Sokoudjou has dynamite in his fists and can end the fight at anytime. Luis Cane has looked very sharp with his strikes in his 2 fights in the octagon. He is still a bit of an unknown, however, and we will learn a lot about him in this fight.

Result: Luis Cane has arrived. He showed great grit by weathering Sokoudjou’s 1st round onslaught. He has a good chin and a big heart. When Sokoudjou slowed down in the 2nd round, Cane took over and ended the fight with power strikes of his own. We have yet to see Cane’s ground game, but he has top shelf standup. Sokoudjou has tons of talent but he needs to harness it if he plans on becoming champion someday. Cane rises to 10. Sokoudjou drops to 12.

170 lbs. – Chris Lytle [15] vs. Paul Taylor [42]

MMA Record: Chris Lytle (25-16-5); Paul Taylor (9-3-1)

Preview: Nobody in the sport has more heart than Chris Lytle and Paul Taylor. These guys are true warriors. Both are dangerous strikers: Taylor more with his feet and Lytle with his hands. There is a differnece in their ground games. Lytle should have a significant advantage there. This is sure to be a crowd-pleasing for as long as it lasts. In the end, look for Lytle to finish it with a submission in the 1st or 2nd round.

Result: This fight lived up to the hype. They slugged it out for 3 rounds and showed why they’re considered 2 of the toughest guys in the sport. Lytle came in like a madman and Taylor stood his ground. Lytle landed slightly more strikes and got more takedowns. He started to gas in the 3rd round but by that time Taylor needed a KO to get the win. He almost got it but the bell sounded. Lytle picked up another solid win to put on his gaudy resume. Lytle rises to 13. Taylor drops to 44.

170 lbs. – Marcus Davis [16] vs. Paul Kelly [41]

MMA Record: Marcus Davis (14-4); Paul Kelly (7-0)

Preview:There’s no secret to Marcus Davis. He loves to throw leather. Paul Kelly does too. This should be another entertaining fight. Paul’s reputation would take a big leap if he pulled off the victory here. But the safe money is on Davis. He is extremely powerful and will probably get the KO with his right hand.

Result: Davis showed the better all-around game in this one. He was the more technical striker in the 1st round and in the 2nd, he landed a fight-ending guillotine choke. Davis rises to 14. Kelly drops to 43.

170 lbs. – Akihiro Gono [14] vs. Dan Hardy [52]

MMA Record: Akihiro Gono (28-12-7); Dan Hardy (19-6)

Result:Hardy edged out the split decision with very impressive standup and an ability to escape the ground game. Gono is an old dog but he showed his age in this one. Hardy was younger, stronger and more athletic. “The Outlaw” has made his move in the division and is poised to become a contender. Hardy rises to 23. Gono drops to 24.

155 lbs. – David Baron [NR] vs. Jim Miller [58]

MMA Record: David Baron (16-2); Jim Miller (11-1)

Result: This was a dominant performance by Jim Miller. He got the takedowns early in each round and controlled the jiu-jitsu game throughout. For his part, David Baron showed game toughness and resiliency. But in the 3rd round, Miller sunk in a fight ending rear-naked choke to pick up another quality victory.

155 lbs. – Jess Liaudin [NR] vs. David Bielkheden

MMA Record: Jess Liaudin (12-10); David Bielkheden (12-6)

Result:This was a close, back-and-forth fight for the first 2 rounds. Bielheden was relentless with his takedowns though, and by round 3 he started to administer some damage via ground-and-pound. He ended up taking the unanimous decision. Bielkheden debuts at 74. Liaudin debuts at 80.

155 lbs. – Sam Stout [37] vs. Terry Etim [50]

MMA Record: Sam Stout (13-4-1); Terry Etim (10-2)

Result:This turned into a highly skilled kickboxing match. Etim looked extremely sharp in the 1st round and Stout finished the 3rd round strong. The judges gave a well-deserved unanimous decision to Terry Etim. He is just 22-years-old and has an extremely bright future ahead. I would not be surprised to see him competing for the championship in a few years. Etim rises to 36. Stout drops to 39.

Result:Per Eklund put together a nice all-around game. Schiavo put the pressure on but Per was up to it and was in control on the feet and on the mat. He finished Samy with a 3rd round rear-naked choke. Per debuts at 79.

Information on Website

A fighter can rise in the rankings despite losing if he turns in a high-level performance.

Generally for a fighter to debut in the rankings, he must beat an established opponent or win several fights in a row impressively.

A fighter will be removed from the rankings after 2 years of inactivity or after poor performance.

(NR) means the fighter has yet to establish himself in their new weight class or is fighting outside his regular weight class or is coming off a 2-year layoff.

If a fight is at a catchweight, I will consider it at whatever division it is closest to. Example: A fight at 160 lbs. will be considered a lightweight fight (155 lbs.) rather than a welterweight fight (170 lbs.) because it’s only 5 lbs. away from lightweight rather than 10 lbs. for welterweight. If the weight difference is even, I will consider it a fight in the higher weight class.